


when time seems to slow

by cherishmartell



Series: i'm hanging on tight till the whole thing ends [1]
Category: One Tree Hill
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, And a Hug, Brooke needs chocolate, F/M, Gen, Hospitals, first OTH fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-17
Updated: 2016-11-17
Packaged: 2018-08-31 14:34:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8582161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherishmartell/pseuds/cherishmartell
Summary: If Lucas had collapsed (because of his HCM) in the middle of a college game.





	

**Author's Note:**

> A Brucas fic because the end of the semester stresses me out (hence the resulting OTH binge watching and a hankering for one of my *first* ships) 
> 
> Hope you enjoy! ^~^

When Lucas froze in the middle of the court, his face whitening as his knees gave out and he fell (awkwardly, nothing like the graceful descent they always show in the movies), Brooke’s world slowed to a grinding halt; she could still feel the pom-poms in her hands, the grin stretching her ruby red lips into a crowd wowing smile. Her eyes, which had been trailing her boyfriend for the most of the game, widen in horror. She can feel her heart began beating fast, too fast, as her pretty smile turns into a horrified grimace. She watches his coach, despite his advanced age, sprint from their side of the court, towards him, sees the ref crouch over him as well meaning teammates crowd in closer. Then she hears it, the screaming; dazedly, she thinks it’s Karen, or maybe even Haley, watching everything unfold from the bleachers. It isn’t until her pom-poms are knocked out of her hand as Peyton clutches her in a well meaning hug that Brooke finally realizes it was her.  


~~~  


They wouldn’t let her ride in the ambulance. Karen had all but launched herself into the crowded cabin and the EMT is already slamming the door shut before she can even formulate a plea. Peyton, Haley, Nathan, and the others are crowded around her, and they are all watching, their faces anxious as the boxy vehicle peels out of the parking lot with the screech of burning rubber. _It’s ok,_ she tries to tell herself, trying to school herself back into the confident, assured Brooke who commanded the attention, and adoration, of many. Karen knew his medical information, all of the things that she had dismissed as less important (especially when she had to remember his favorite bands, books….the lingerie he liked best on her). Brooke’s useless in a crisis like this. She’s the girl for things like saving a party from a last minute beer shortage, or for fixing a broken strap. But this? She doesn’t even know what to do, how to react. But she is determined to be strong; Karen will need her to keep a cool head, and she really doesn’t look good with raccoon mascara and red eyes. It isn’t until Peyton grabs her hand, giving her a well meaning squeeze, that Brooke realizes that plan is bull shit and bursts into anguished sobs.  


~~~  


Brooke sits in the waiting room for what feels like hours; she has Peyton’s leather jacket wrapped around her and she can hear Mouth, his voice muffled like she’s underwater. He’s trying to be reassuring, but how can he? No one knows what’s going on, not even Whitey, who left soon after the motley group arrived, determined to get some answers. Nathan is pacing, running his hands through his hair anxiously as Haley sits behind him, her eyes red and swollen as she anxiously twists her wedding ring; Skills sits with his head in his hand as Bevin sits next to him, silent, for once, as she rubs his back soothingly. _The entire situation is bizarre_ , she thinks, sniffling as she rubs at her eyes. For once, Brooke doesn’t care that her makeup has traveled down her cheeks and that she looks like a demented clown. The only thing she cares about, can think about, is the boy lying somewhere in the maze of hallways.  


Brooke lays her head on Peyton’s shoulder, grabbing for Mouth’s hand when she sees Nathan’s head snap up, his expression hopeful, only to see that the doctor has gone to talk to the family sitting farther down from them. She can’t stand it anymore, the tension. It hangs over them, fogging the air and feeling all too heavy against the bare skin of her legs. It’s making her crazy- she can’t decide whether to scream or cry. As her mind whirs, she lets her eyes wander distractedly, passing over her friends, the other occupants, moving over the glass doors they ran through…Wait….is that…Brooke sits up, squinting in the dark that looms outside the waiting room’s sliding glass doors. Is that Dan Scott? But then Whitey comes back and her attention snaps back to him.  


~~~  


“Is he gonna be ok?” They are the first words out of her mouth, ones that are echoed by everyone. Whitey looks exhausted, aged 10 years by the events of the night.  


“They told me Lucas had a heart attack, which doesn’t make much sense since he’s been taking his medication…” he lets his sharp, knowing gaze run down the line, looking for someone to contradict his statement. She thinks he sees him glance at the door, do a double take, but he’s back, focusing on the matter at hand. “They said he’s not out of the woods yet but…”  


“But what?” Brooke can’t help it, jumping for the only scrap of hope she’s been offered since this whole nightmare started.  


“They’re optimistic. Cautious, but optimistic.” He admits, rubbing a hand over the flushed skin of his scalp, and lets out a long held breath. “They’ve said they won’t be admitting visitors until he’s out of the woods, so I’d advise you kids to go home, get some sleep.” He says, walking slowly towards the exit. He seems reluctant and is trying to be strong, but she sees him rub at his eyes with the heel of his hand. “Nothin’ more we can do.”  


But how can she leave when her boyfriend might die?  


~~~  


In the end, Skills is the first to leave; he has a presentation for one of his classes first thing (and his professor is too much of a hard ass to let him off the hook), so he leaves, trading complicated handshakes with Nathan, Mouth, and the other guys; he stops to hug Haley and Peyton, and gives her a gentle squeeze. “That boy’s gonna be ok, especially since he knows you’re waiting for him.” Brooke tries to smile and whispers a thank you. Bevin trails after him, after hugging her and whispering a ‘good luck’. The rest of the team leaves a half hour after them, trading quiet words of encouragement with Nathan; a few stop to try to reassure her, but their words sound hollow, and echo wrongly in her ear. Mouth, Junk, and Fergie go to, promising to be back in the morning.  


She forces Peyton to go home, ignoring her protests. “I don’t wanna leave you by yourself, Brooke; you were with me when my mom…”  


Despite her good intentions, the words send a chill down her spine as Brooke forces a smile to her lips. “Go on, Bottle Blonde; I know Jake’s probably worried about you,” she mentions, reminding her that he had a cold, and had missed out on the messed up nightmare none of them could wake up from. “Seriously, Peyton, go on; I’ll leave after I check on Karen.” It’s a lie, a bad one that hasn’t convinced her best friend. “Really, P. Sawyer, go on.” She says softly, giving her a crooked, watery grin. “Give that pretty baby of Jake’s a hug for me.” In the end, Peyton cracks, and Brooke’s pretty sure it’s only because Nate and Haley are still here.  


“Sure, B. Davis,” she promises softly. Brooke stands up to hug her, clutching at her best friend like she’s a life preserver. Peyton hugs her back just as tightly and walks out, just as slowly as Coach Whitey; she turns back, once before the sliding doors. Brooke mouths ‘Go,” and, after a few moments pass, her best friend finally does.  


~~~  


Time doesn’t seem to pass here; the clock in the waiting room is broken, its hands permanently stuck on the 12 and the 5. Brooke has given up on sitting and has begun pacing, like Nate. The inactivity made her like she was drowning, giving her too much time to think about what was happening, what could happen. She feels lost and scared, two words that she would never use to describe herself. She hates feeling useless and, just for a moment, wonders if she should pray. After a minute of indecision, she decides not to; even if she remembered how to, she was never particularly religious, and time has shown her that prayers are rarely, if ever, answered.  


The soft scuff of shoes against the too shiny linoleum drags her back to the present, makes her freeze beside the waxy looking fake tree. Karen is standing in front of them, purple rings under her eyes, a steaming Styrofoam cup clasped in her hands. She looks pale and tired but she’s smiling shakily. “Is he…” Nathan asks his voice cautious, his arm wrapped tight around Haley.  


“He’s going to be ok,” Karen whispers and Brooke watches as the relief washes over her friends’ faces as the same feeling floods through her. “He’s sleeping now, but when he wakes up, you guys can go in to see him.”  


“Thanks Karen,” Brooke whispers, drawing Karen’s gaze towards her. Karen smiles at her, tentative and relieved, and it’s all the encouragement Brooke needs. She bounds across the room and into Karen’s arms; she’s crying again, but this time is different.  


He’s going to be ok.  


~~~  


“Aren’t you going to try to get some sleep, Tigger?” Haley’s voice is a whisper, spoken over Nate’s head. Ever since they got the news, and Karen retreated back to Lucas’s room, as of the tension went out of the basketball player. He’d fallen asleep almost immediately, his hand clutched in Haley’s. Tutor girl is tired too, Brooke can see it when she tries to hide her yawn, blinks a little too often. Warmth floods her heart as she smiles at her, shakes her head.  


“Nah, I’m too wired to sleep. But you definitely should,” Hayley scoffs good naturedly, but yawns again. “Seriously tutor girl, it’s ok. I’ll wake you guys up when Karen comes back.” Haley nods, too tired to argue. She shuts her eyes and lets her head drift to rest on Nate’s shoulder.  


~~~  


The hours pass by sluggishly, if at all. Brooke kills time by reading seriously out of date issues of Cosmo (2003? Seriously!), drinking too much of the shitty coffee, and messing with her phone, which went dead soon after the sun rose. After what feels like an eternity, Karen returns, looking a little more relaxed. She waits for Brooke to shake a groaning Haley awake who, in turn, elbows her husband who jerks awake with a “What the…” He sobers when he realizes where he is, and turns to look at Karen.  


“If you guys are ready, the doctor said he can have visitors. For a few minutes,” Karen tries to sound stern, but her relief is stronger. Brooke squeals, her first sound in hours, and all but bowls the older woman over in a hug.  


~~~  


Brooke lets Nathan and Haley go first; Haley’s known him forever and Nate is his brother. Karen had stopped to give her arm a gentle squeeze but she’s left (to go the chapel? To get a few hours of sleep?), leaving Brooke alone outside his door. So she waits impatiently, practically bouncing with impatience as orderlies and nurses skirt around her, some tossing confused glances at her uniform.  


When her limited patience finally fails her, and she lifts her hand to open the door, it squeaks open of its own accord, letting Haley and Nate spill out into the hallway. “He’s asking for you,” the redhead whispers, giving her a tired, but brilliant grin. It’s the only invitation Brooke needs. Taking a short breath, and smoothing down the skirt of her uniform (she’s scrubbed at the makeup stains in the bathroom earlier that morning, until they were almost unnoticeable) and slips through the door frame.  


~~~  


“Hey pretty girl,” the words are raspy, spoken by a boy who’s been through hell and back. Lucas looks as pale as the sheets tucked around him, and the machines next to him keep blinking, firmly cementing this surreal situation in reality.  


“You scared me, broody,” Brooke chides, managing a wavering smile. She’s trying to be funny but her voice cracks and she starts crying, harder then when she was in the waiting room. “You can’t do that again, ok? God, Lucas, I was so scared," 

“I know,” he whispers, his face stricken. “I know. I’m sorry Brooke, I’m so sorry,”  


Brooke nods, her chin still feeling pretty wobbly. “Can I get in with you?” her voice isn’t louder than a whisper, she’s afraid it’ll break again if she tries anything louder. Lucas nods, without hesitation and carefully shifts over. Brooke clambers into the hospital bed, mindful of the wires that snake from her boyfriend’s chest and arms. She lowers her head to his proffered shoulder and feels him press a kiss to her forehead. She lets out a long held breath, exhaustion hitting her hard as she finally allows her eyes to shut. Before she drifts off, she can hear nurses murmuring to each other, the squeaky wheel on some passing cart, the shuffle of shoes.  


Time has started up again, and Brooke can finally breathe.

**Author's Note:**

> I know I didn't do them justice but...*laughs nervously* let me know what you think with comments and kudos? 
> 
> Feel free to prompt me at: https://cherishmartell.tumblr.com/


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